Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has proposed a N50 billion expenditure in the state’s 2025 budget to enhance road infrastructure in the 25 local government areas of the state.
Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this during a budget defence meeting with the state House of Assembly Committee on Works and Special Projects in Asaba.
Aniagwu said the budgetary provision for the road projects was a deliberate effort by the governor to spread projects evenly, across the 25 local government areas of the state.
He said: “It is worthy of note to mention that the ministry made deliberate effort to spread projects across the 25 local government areas to the tune of N50 billion in the 2025 budget estimate.”
The commissioner said his ministry was created from the main works ministry and charged with the responsibility of formulating policies, within the corridor of civil engineering works in the rural and riverine communities and other areas in the state.
Aniagwu, who also stood in for the Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Mr. Reuben Izeze, said that his ministry will focus on the completion of ongoing projects and major projects that would impact on the various communities.
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He also restated the determination of Gov. Oborevwori to build rural roads that would help to improve the living standards of the people, even as he recalled that the governor promised, while campaigning to complete all the projects he inherited and also initiate new ones.
“The governor is interested in building all the rural roads for our people who live in rural communities. He’s also desirous of continuing with the ongoing projects as well as initiate new ones,” he said.
The commissioner also said that the state government was reviewing the cost of some projects in order to meet with the present economic realities, occasioned by increased prices of materials.
“One novel thing the governor has done is that almost 100 percent of the projects we are awarding now, he has been able to transparently provide for the mobilisation of the contractors. The reason we are doing this is that we don’t want any contractor to tell us that he is seeking for funds. This will help us to avoid the incidence of incessant review of contracts on account of fluctuations of the currency,” he added.
Aniagwu while commending the state House of Assembly committee members for their support, assured that his ministry will interface more with the committee in its quest to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
